The day before her 30th birthday, Min Cho (known as Minnie) came home to find a giant bakery box; it contained a dozen red-velvet cupcakes topped with Red Hots that spelled out "Will U Marry Me?" But as Brian Huang, her boyfriend of two years, was nowhere in sight, she had no one to respond to...until the doorbell rang moments later and there he was, on bended knee. After a joyful "Yes!" the former pastry assistant and her law-student beau, both 30, soon turned their thoughts to their shared goal for the big day: crafting a menu that was anything but typical wedding fare. "The first thing we told our caterer was, 'No filet mignon or sea bass!' " says the bride. Instead, they treated their 130 guests to a parade of exotic dishes, like corn-fried quail drumettes, Dungeness-crab chowder with fennel, and chocolate-malt kulfi (Indian ice cream).

The sumptuous cuisine paired perfectly with the luxe venue, the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. "As soon as we walked up the grand staircase, I was hooked," says Minnie. "Even empty, the room was breath taking." And on November 20 it was twice as captivating, thanks to event designer Gloria Wong, who used peonies, tree branches, silk birds, and a custom-designed print to transform the space into a chinoiserie fantasyland. "It was classic and elegant, feminine and ethereal, and everything I'd ever dreamed of," recalls Minnie. A pure flight of fancy.

The couple dressed at the St. Regis hotel, then rode to the museum in a vintage Rolls-Royce.

The museum's ornate ceiling and intricate chandelier were just two of the details that captivated Minnie and Brian. To play up the grand space, their planner decorated with gilt chairs, gold-toned china, and towering vases of manzanita branches.